Today we received CAP’s formal response to our July 31 follow‑up. Their letter confirms what we have been warning the public and ministers about.

Key Points for Supporters
RP013a Stays
CAP refuses to repeal the 4‑attempt EPPP limit, citing “public protection.”
This ignores the equity concerns and career harm raised by hundreds of affected members.

5‑Year Policy for Deregistered Members
Former provisional members must wait 5 years to reapply and start over as new applicants under current standards (likely PhD‑level).
CAP admits lifetime ban letters were previously sent and are now reversed; this seems to be how they addressed our concerns, of course only under pressure. This is not meaningful relief—qualified professionals are forced out of the field for 5 years.

Transparency Gaps Remain
2025 Council minutes are still not public.
Agendas and votes are withheld until approved.
The 5‑year bylaw was kept quiet for months, only revealed after advocacy and media pressure.

Full CAP Response (August 5, 2025)
Thank you for your follow up letter of July 31, 2025 responding to our email of July 25, 2025. While you report that “none of the core concerns were substantively acknowledged or addressed in your message”, we indicated that your entire submission was provided to CAP Council at their July 25, 2025 meeting. We have also indicated that there is no lifetime ban for individuals who are unsuccessful on the EPPP 4 or more times.

While we acknowledge that no other Canadian jurisdiction has a firm four attempt limit, many have higher and more restrictive entrance to practice requirements than Alberta. This includes successfully completing the EPPP within the first 2 years of registration and possessing an accredited doctoral degree. Other jurisdictions also require applicants who have multiple failures to meet with their registration officials to develop a plan to address their inability to meet this requirement in a timely manner.

The fact that CAP has less restrictive registration practices than other jurisdictions is supported by the data that Alberta has by far the most regulated psychologists in Canada per capita at 93.7 per 100,000. The national average is around 50 psychologists per 100,000. This data is consistent with our research that only 1.6% of Alberta regulated members have 4 or more unsuccessful EPPP attempts. Overall, this data suggests that CAP’s registration requirements are more inclusive than other jurisdictions. We also recognize that there are many meaningful mental health professional roles that benefit the public outside of psychology. This includes those serving the public with lived experience.

You are correct that some regulated members received a letter from CAP stating they were ineligible to apply for registration in the future, as this was true at the time. However, on February 28, 2025 CAP passed a Bylaw indicating that former regulated members on the provisional register could apply for registration in the same manner as a new applicant after a period of 5 years, effective September 1, 2025. Due to the future effective date of the Bylaw change, this message was not communicated to those impacted by the change until more recently. CAP has since informed these former regulated members of the Bylaw change. CAP will also be sending a mailout to all regulated members notifying them of this upcoming Bylaw amendment.

You have raised the issue of transparency in Council proceedings. CAP provided you with the unofficial Council Agenda. It is unofficial until Council approves it at the meeting. This is also true for the previous meeting minutes. This is common procedural practice. Council voted on informing the petition group and the individuals impacted by the EPPP policies of the Bylaw change. CAP has completed these notifications. Importantly, many items are addressed in a consensus manner. Council minutes with respect to the EPPP policies, are available on the website. As you noted, however, the 2025 meeting minutes are not yet available, and CAP is reviewing our practices in this area to ensure greater transparency.

CAP currently has no intention to move towards a solely doctoral level entry to practice requirement. Nonetheless, academic criteria is subject to change. CAP anticipates enhancing our criteria in the near future to better distinguish the psychology profession from other mental health-related providers. This is to ensure that all CAP members are able to practice our full scope.

As previously noted in our communication of July 25, 2025, CAP Council expressed confidence in the current EPPP policies as they believe it is consistent with CAP’s primary public protection mandate under the Health Professions Act. As such, CAP has no intention at the present time to repeal policy RP013a.

Nevertheless, CAP prides itself on being a learning organization and if additional data is presented that does not support our current position, we will consider making any changes perceived to be necessary if they are in the public interest. In closing, we respect your right to advocate an alternative position. CAP will continue to review all of our entry to practice requirements to ensure we are meeting our public protection mandate.

Richard J. Spelliscy, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Registrar and CEO, College of Alberta Psychologists

✅ Our Position Remains Firm
Immediate repeal of RP013a
Full disclosure of all Council votes and minutes
Equitable reinstatement pathways for all affected members
📢 Next Step: We will continue to press Ministers, media, and the AHRC, Fairness board to demand a transparent, fair, and evidence‑based regulatory process.

Our collective voice is why CAP has been forced to respond publicly. We will not stop until this harmful policy is repealed.

Thank you for your support, 
albertapetitioneppp@gmail.com